Electric-railroad track



Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

B. O. BARTLETT. ELECTRICIVRAILROAD TRACK. APPLICATION FILED mmzs. 1919.

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\A firrozzvz) BURNETT O. BARTLETT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC-RAILROAD TRACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Application filed March 28, 1919. Serial No. 285,869.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BURNETT O. BART- LETT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city of Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Railroad Tracks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates generally to electricrailroad tracks, and more particularly to such tracks as are used in toy railroads.

in producing my invention, 1 have sought to provide a track, the sections of which may be easily and quickly assembled, disassembled or interchanged. My track is very durable in its construction and will not easily get out of order.

Another object has been to provide a connector for tracks of this nature, so designed that the ends of the tracks cannot be bent or distorted when assembling or disassembling, even though this operation is performed in a careless manner.

Furthermore, my device is provided with double electrical contacts, so-that the continuity of the circuit through the track sections will be assured.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a track embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a section of my track.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the same, showing one of the connectors.

In the drawings, I have shown my invention as applied to a railroad track of the three-rail type, it being obvious that it may also be applied, with equal eiliciency, to tracks of the two-rail type.

In the drawings, 5 and 6 are the crossties of my track, which are formed preferably of wood or other non-conductive material. These ties carry the rails as well as the locking means for the sections. The locking means comprise plates 7 each arranged at one end of each of the ties. These plates are each secured at one end to one cross-tie and overlap the adjacent cross-tie. An aperture 8 is provided in the outer projecting end of each plate, and this engages with a pin 9 secured in the adjacent crosstie. The outer projecting end of each plate 7 is curved upwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to facilitate assembling. These plates are secured to the adjacent cross-ties at opposite ends thereof, so that one plate is carried by each cross-tie and engages the pin of the adjacent cross-tie, thereby making the sections interchangeable.

1Q, 11 and 12 the track: sections of my levlce, each set of sections having a cross tie at its opposite ends. As above stated, my invention is shown as applied to a threerail system, and, therefore, the rail sections 10 and 11 are electrically connected together by the wire connector 13. The rails of adjacent sections are connected to each other by means of spring contact plates 1d, 15, 16 and 17, and these plates are so arranged as to make the sections interchangeable. hes-e plates are secured, by soldering or riveting,

to the ends of the rail sections, and overlap and bear in Contact with the ends of the adjacent rail sections. For instance, the plates 14: are secured to the left-hand ends of the rail sections 10 and contact with the righthand ends of adjacent sections (as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2.) The plates 15 are secured to the right-hand ends of the rail sections 11 and overlap the left-hand ends 01 cent sections. The plates 16 are arranged at the one side of the left-hand ends of the rail sections 12, and the plates 1'? are arranged at the opposite side of the ri ht-hand ends of these rail sections. The plates 16, therefore, bear against the right-hand ends of adjacent rail sections 12, and the plates 17 against the left-hand ends of these sections. These plates are thus oppositely arranged, so that any section of the track may be easily and permanently connected with another track section.

' From the foregoing, it will be obvious that the plates 7 will firmly connect the cross-ties, and, therefore, the rail sections, in a mechanical manner; and the contact springs 14, 15, 16 and 17, bearing firmly against adjacent rail sections, will efficiently connect the rail sections electrically.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An article of manufacture comprising metal rails, cross-ties, means for securing the rails to the ties, and means for locking adjacent ties to each other comprising a plate arranged at one end of each of the ties and overlapping the adjacent tie and provided with means for lockingly engaging adjacent ties, whereby the rails are locked against relative longitudinal movement.

2. An article of manufacture comprising metal rails, cross-ties, means for securing the rails to the ties, and means for locking adjacent ties to each other comprising a plate arranged at one end of each of the ties and overlapping the adjacent tie, each plate being provided with an aperture for engagement with a pin on the adjacent tie.

3. An article of manufacture consisting of a track section comprising rails, cross-ties secured to the rails near the ends thereof, and complementary locking means, carried by the cross-ties and oppositely arranged, one element of the locking means being engageable with the complementary locking element of another adjacent track section, whereby adjacent track sections may be interchangeably locked together.

4:. An article of manufacture consisting of a track section comprising rails, cross-ties secured to the rails near the ends thereof, complementary locking means, carried by the cross-ties and oppositely arranged, one element of the locking means being engageable with the complementary locking element of another adjacent track section, and means secured to the ends of the rails for electrically connecting the same, whereby one track section may be interchangeably locked and electrically connected with another section.

5. An article of manufacture consisting of a track section comprising three rails, cross-ties secured to the rails, a spring contact plate secured to one end of each of the outside rails and arranged at opposite ends thereof, and a spring contact plate secured to each end of the center rail and arranged on opposite faces thereof, said contact plates projecting beyond the ends of the rails, whereby one track section may be interchangeably engaged and connected with another track section.

6. An article of manufacture consisting of a track section comprising rails, cross-ties secured to the rails near the ends thereof, and locking means, for engagement with cross-ties of other sections, carried by the cross-ties and oppositely arranged, a spring contact plate secured to each of the rails and projecting beyond one of the ends thereof, said plates being arranged at opposite ends of the rails, whereby one track section may be interchangeably locked and electrically comiected with another track section.

7. An article of manufacturecomprising metal rails, cross-ties secured to the rails, means for locking adjacent ties to each other comprising a plate arranged at one end of each of the ties and overlapping the adjacent tie, each plate being provided with an aperture for engagement with a pin on the adjacent tie, and means secured to the ends of the rails for electrically connecting the same, whereby one track section may be interchangeably locked and electrically connected with another track section.

8. An article of manufacture comprising metal rails, cross-ties secured to the rails near the endsthereof, means for locking adjacent ties to each other comprising a plate arranged at one end of each of the ties and overlapping the adjacent tie, each plate being provided with an aperture for engagement with a pin on the adjacent tie, and a spring contact plate secured to each of the rails and projecting beyond the ends thereof, said plates being arranged at opposite ends of the rails, whereby one track section may be interchangeably locked and electrically connected with another track section.

Dated, Buffalo, N. -Y., March 21, 1919.

BURNETT o. BARTLETT. 

